


Lessons Learned

by malevolentmango



Series: Taakitz Week 2018 [3]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Boyfriends, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Post-Canon, Romance, Taakitz Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 08:36:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14132277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malevolentmango/pseuds/malevolentmango
Summary: Kravitz is up to something, and Taako wants to know what it is.Or, Taako is very bad at solving mysteries.





	Lessons Learned

**Author's Note:**

> For Day 4 of Taakitz Week - Date Night

Kravitz is up to something, and Taako wants to know what it is. 

 

His boyfriend might be a gambler, but sometimes his poker face is just atrocious. Taako might ask a perfectly innocent question: “Was your day horrible without me?” for example. And normally Kravitz might smirk at him, give him a little bit of that trademark Kravitz snark that Taako will never admit to loving as much as he does: “Oh, were you gone? I should have realized from how quiet it was.” But lately Kravitz will simply hum distractedly, not looking up from the latest book he's engrossed in, and say, “Of course, darling.”

 

Whenever Taako tries to find the book later, it's always mysteriously gone. 

 

There's a tiny voice in the back of Taako's head that tries to tell him that Kravitz is getting bored with him already. He mostly ignores it, mostly thinks Kravitz is plotting something stupid and romantic, mostly knows what a catch he is. 

 

Mostly. But he's going to find out what Kravitz is up to, just in case. 

 

“Come on, pumpkin,” he says into his Stone of Farspeech, cajoling. “I'll give you school credit!”

 

“I don't go to your school, sir,” Angus says, sounding amused and very much not like he intends to come over and help Taako solve this mystery. “And I have a test in History of Arcana tomorrow.”

 

Taako waves off this excuse with his free hand, even though Angus can't see him.

 

“It'll be quick! Get you here and back in no time, minus one mystery and plus one evening well-spent with yours truly.” Taako’s feet are carrying him in the direction of the music room without thinking. “Yeah, we'll just pop in…”

 

He realizes his error at the same time that Angus’s laughter chimes through the Stone. “Kind of defeats the purpose of the investigation if you use one of his rifts, doesn't it?”

 

Taako turns on his heel and stomps back into the living room, muttering to himself.

 

“Anyway, sir, I should really get back to studying.”

 

“As if you need it,” Taako says, half petulance, half pride.

 

He can practically feel Angus beaming all the way from Lucas’s shitty, distant school. “I'm sure you'll figure it out.”

 

So without the world’s greatest detective to help him solve this mystery, Taako’s just going to have to do it himself.

 

He starts with the books, because as much as Kravitz is a nerd who enjoys reading, he can tell there’s something different about these. Taako waits until Kravitz is gone to the Astral Plane for the day to tear the house apart in search of whatever secret library he’s keeping these things in.

 

All he finds are the trashy romance novels that Lup keeps lending him, the ones he clearly enjoys way too much. Taako flips through one of them, as if expecting the shirtless half-drow on the cover to be hiding all of Kravitz's secrets. 

 

His “research” takes a bit too long, and Kravitz catches him with the book when he comes home for lunch. He takes in the sight of Taako curled up on the couch, glaring at him over the top of the book, and smirks.

 

“Not a fucking word, Bones.”

 

Kravitz heads to the kitchen, calling over his shoulder, “Let me know how you like the ending!”

 

So the books are a no-go. He'll have to try something else.

 

Lup and Barry come over for dinner that weekend, and Taako pulls Barry aside the first chance he gets, intent on an interrogation. Lup might seem like the better choice, but Barry and Kravitz have been thick as thieves since they started working together, and if Lup knows anything about a surprise, she's definitely not going to tell him.

 

“Barold, my oldest and dearest friend,” he says as he slings an arm around Barry's shoulders and guides him away from the kitchen where Lup and Kravitz are talking quietly. 

 

“Uh, well, I don't think that's true,” Barry says, laughing. “What do you want, Taako?”

 

Taako places a hand over his heart, feigning offence. “You wound me, truly. Where's the trust? The love? Are we not brothers?” 

 

Barry just stares at him.

 

“Okay, listen.” Taako leans in closer, lowering his voice. Barry rolls his eyes. “Cha’boy needs the deets.”

 

“No.”

 

“I suspect that--hey. You didn't even let me _ start.” _

 

“You're going to ask what Kravitz is working on, and I'm not going to tell you.” Barry grins. “It just saves time to say no right away.”

 

Taako huffs, throwing his hands up before letting them fall to his sides.

 

“This is discrimination.”

 

Barry snorts. “It's just a surprise, Taako. If Kravitz wasn't so bad at keeping secrets, you wouldn't be worrying at all.”

 

Taako waves him off, examining his nails, because there's gotta be a chip in this gold paint somewhere and that's a way more important problem than…

 

He startles when Barry drops a hand on his shoulder, and looks up to find Barry wearing that kind, familiar smile that Taako's seen a thousand times. It's the one that says Taako's being an idiot, but in like, a loving way.

 

“You know you have nothing to worry about, right?” Barry says.

 

Taako shrugs Barry's hand off and says, “Save the pep talk for your cheer squad, Bluejeans, I got it.” And then, reluctantly, “Thanks.”

 

At a loss for how to proceed with his investigation - and gods, he really has been spending too much time with the kid, hasn't he? - Taako resorts to the method that kept Tres Horny Boys alive and adventuring for so long. 

 

Ask a competent woman for help.

 

“Nah, Taako, I can't help you,” Ren says, barely glancing up from her paperwork. Outside the door, the bell rings to signal the start of the next class. Taako's pretty sure he's supposed to be teaching, but the twerps can wait. “One, I ain't the type to spoil a surprise. And two, I got enough to deal with here. At your school. Where I work.”

 

“I’ll give you extra vacation time,” Taako says, cajoling, as he leans against Ren’s desk. A paperweight in the shape of a bird floats up off her desk and pokes him in the side with its beak, making him stand up straight again.

 

“Don't sound much like a vacation to me.” Ren scribbles something that's probably important on the bottom of a page before adding it to the stack of other finished papers to her left. “Have you tried just, ya know, askin’ him?”

 

“And give him the satisfaction of knowing he’s outsmarted me?  _ Never.” _

 

Ren smiles sweetly up at him, already reaching a file at the edge of her desk. “Guess you’re shit outta luck then, boss.”

 

The rest of the school day drags on. Taako’s distracted during all the classes he teaches, and he’s pretty sure he introduced a ninth-level transmutation spell to a bunch of twelve year olds in the last one, but that’s probably fine. They have to learn some time. 

 

By the time he makes it home, he’s formulated another plan: whatever Kravitz is doing, it only partially involves the books, so he must be hiding something else. Taako can probably check the music room before he gets back from the Astral Plane, it would be just like the big sap to hide it in there…

 

He’s just closed the front door behind him when he realizes that his time for investigating has run out.

 

The entry way and the living room beyond it should be dark at this time of night, but instead they’re glowing with the light from dozens of candles. There’s some on every available surface and even more lining the floor in a distinct pattern - a path made of tealights and rose petals that leads down the hall and to the right. To the kitchen.

 

Taako swallows around a lump in his throat, cursing himself for getting choked up  _ already _ over something so unbelievably cheesy. He can’t go in that room and face Kravitz looking like he’s about to cry, but he can’t help the swell of relief he feels as that last, lingering bit of doubt fades away. 

 

He doesn’t even need to hear the words that he knows Kravitz is going to say. He knows that Kravitz loves him. Someday, he’ll get better at remembering it.

 

He follows the path into the kitchen and finds Kravitz waiting for him at the table, which is set up just as nicely as everything else - more candles, fancy china that Taako’s pretty sure they didn’t have before, champagne chilling off to the side. 

 

The smile that crosses Kravitz’s face when he sees him makes Taako’s heart stutter. He can’t help but smile too.

 

“Hello, love,” Kravitz says, standing up to meet him. Taako crosses the room and all but throws his arms around him, saying his own hello by way of kissing him so fiercely that Kravitz actually has to shuffle backwards to catch his balance, which,  _ natch. _

 

“You’re ridiculous,” Taako mutters in between kisses, and Kravitz laughs.

 

“With a greeting like that, I think you might be a decent competitor for that title.” Kravitz indulges him for a few more moments, and then starts nudging him gently in the direction of the table. “Come on, I don’t want it to get cold.”

 

“That’s what warming spells are for, my dude,” Taako says, but he sits down anyway, still feeling distinctly flushed. 

 

Kravitz pours their champagne, and Taako immediately takes a huge gulp of it as Kravitz goes to retrieve two plates from the counter by the stove. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Kravitz in the kitchen. Okay, well, that’s actually exactly what it is, and while Taako’s willing to admit that he’s been getting better at simple things like scrambled eggs and sandwiches, the last Taako checked Kravitz still had a long way to go towards the level of  _ decent cook. _

 

Which is why it’s all the more surprising when the dish Kravitz sets down in front of him looks incredible.

 

It’s something Taako could probably cook in his sleep - seared salmon with some kind of glaze, probably balsamic, on a bed of wild rice, with a side of parmesan roasted asparagus. The thing is, it  _ looks _ like something he might have made; visually, it’s amazing, and it smells great too.

 

He glances over at Kravitz, who’s biting his lip, decidedly nervous. Taako raises an eyebrow.

 

“Oh, come on,” Kravitz says, almost a whine. “Don’t make me wait anymore.”

 

As tempting as that would be, Taako just picks up his fork and digs into the salmon. It flakes off in perfectly-cooked chunks, and the first bite causes him to let out a surprised hum. It’s fucking  _ delicious. _

 

“Krav, how the hell did you pull this off?”

 

Kravitz shrugs sheepishly, picking up his own fork as Taako goes for the rice next. “I had a lot of help,” he admits. “I read a lot of cookbooks. And Lup--”

 

“My traitor sister.”

 

“--and Barry--”

 

“Mother _ fucker.” _

 

“--They helped me taste test. I, uh… took samples into work for them. Lup gave me a lot of tips on how to improve.” He chuckles. “I’m pretty sure they were getting tired of eating salmon, by the end of it.”

 

“Look, this is… this is so fucking good, Bones, and I’m not just saying that because of, you know--” Taako gestures between the two of them. “Us. I love this. I would order this.”

 

Kravitz looks positively delighted at the praise, his eyes shining in the candlelight in a way that makes Taako want to forget all about the food and take him to bed immediately. He resists, just barely. 

 

“Thank you, Taako. That means a lot, coming from you.”

 

“What I don’t get is  _ why.” _

 

“Why… what?”

 

“You know.” Taako waves his arms around to encompass it all - the food, the candles, the roses, the way Kravitz is looking at him as if he’s the only person who exists in the whole damn world. “This. Did I… am I missing something here? I didn’t…” He trails off, suddenly nervous. “I didn’t forget an important date, right?”

 

Kravitz smiles at him, so warm and soft and full of affection that Taako’s nervousness dissipates just as quickly as it appeared. “No, Taako. You haven’t forgotten anything. I just… wanted to cook for you. You do it for me all the time and, well. I know you do it because you love it, but I wanted to do  _ this _ because I love  _ you.” _

 

And there it is, Taako thinks: the confirmation he didn’t need. The words he already knew. They’re just as sweet as they always are, every single time Kravitz says them. It never gets old, somehow; he may not need the reminder, but it still washes over him with a feeling like relief. Like contentment.

 

What he says is, “You’re unbelievable, you know that?” But when Kravitz says, “I know,” it sounds a lot like he’s responding to a different phrase entirely. 

 

Taako doesn’t need to be a detective to figure out what that might be. It’s not much of a mystery that he feels the exact same way.

**Author's Note:**

> Come chat with me about TAZ on [tumblr](http://malevolentmango.tumblr.com)!


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